Cleat for football shoe



y 19, 1964 F. c. PHILLIPS 3,133,364

CLEAT FOR FOOTBALL SHOE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 6% FIG. I

. lllll INVENTOR FRED C. PHILLIPS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,133,364 CHEAT FUR FOGTBALL SHQE Fred (1. Phillips, Stoughton, lVllflSSJ Frederick W. Wormelle, in, Falmouth, Robert 15. Snow, Steughton, and Robert C. Howard, East Bridgett titer, Mass., executors of the will of said Fred C. Phillips, deceased Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,394 3 tjlairns. (Cl. 36-59) This invention relates to a cleat for a football shoe, the cleat being made chiefly of nylon with a steel core as described and illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 2,787,843, granted April 9, 1957. The cleat described in the patent terminated in a steel button which was integral with the core. As there have been some objections raised to the exposed metal at the small end of the cleat, the present invention has to do with a cleat having no exposed metal.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a football shoe cleat embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the steel core member of the same;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the body of the cleat and the tipped core;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, on a longitudinal plane, of the cleat shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

The cleat illustrated on the drawing has a steel core the major portion of which is cylindrical in shape with a series of longitudinal ridges 12 on its sides, the ends of these ridges being spaced from the ends of this portion of the core. At the lower end of this portion is a flange 14 of greater diameter. Below the flange 14 is a relatively narrow neck 16 at the lower end of which is a terminal flange 18 having a serrated rim, the diameter of the terminal flange 18 being less than that of the fiange 14. The core has a screw-threaded bore 20 extending down from the upper end thereof.

A tip 22 of a tough, durable plastic material such as polyurethane is molded onto the terminal flange 18 and neck 16, the upper end of the tip being against the lower face of the flange 14 and of slightly reduced diameter to coincide with the flange. The core and tip, as shown in FIGURE 3, are a unit to be assembled with a nylon member 30. This member has a frusto-conical shape with a flange 32 at its upper end the periphery of which may be circular or, as shown, hexagonal to receive a tool. The upper end has a hollow 34 from which a central bore 36 goes all the way through the member. The diameter of the bore for most of its length is substantially equal to that of the portion 10 but preferably is slightly smaller. The lower portion 38 of the bore is of greater diameter, this being substantially equal to that of the flange 14 and forming a shoulder 40 with the upper part of the bore.

Before the core and the nylon member are assembled, the latter is conditioned by soaking in boiling water. The core is then driven into the lower end of the member until the flange 14 seats against the shoulder 40. The outer dimensions of the nylon member 30 and the tip 22 are such that the frusto-conical surface of the latter forms a smooth continuation of the frusto-conical surface of the former. As the core is forced into the bore of the nylon member, the ridges 12 press into the walls of the bore and interlock firmly with the nylon member. The exposed surfaces of the cleat are excusively of nylon and polyurethane.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleat for a football shoe, comprising a frustoconical nylon member having a central bore therethrough, a frusto-conical tip of polyurethane contiguous to the small end of the nylon member, and a steel core tightly fitting in said bore, said core having a terminal flange completely embedded in said polyurethane tip, an intermediate flange within said nylon member and a reduced portion between said flanges.

2. A cleat as described in claim 1 wherein the tip bears against the side of the intermediate flange which faces the terminal flange.

3. A cleat as in claim 1 wherein said terminal flange has a serrated rim.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,294,462 King et a1. Sept. 1, 1942 2,299,927 Pierce et a1. Oct. 27, 1942 2,682,714 Phillips July 6, 1954 2,787,843 Phillips Apr. 9, 1957 3,054,197 Morgan et a1. Sept. 18, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 728,931 Great Britain Apr. 27, 1955 

1. A CLEAR FOR A FOOTBALL SHOE, COMPRISING A FRUSTOCONICAL NYLON MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL BORE THERETHROUGH, A FRUSTO-CONICAL TIP OF POLYURETHANE CONTIGUOUS TO THE SMALL END OF THE NYLON MEMBER,AND A STEEL CORE TIGHTLY FITTING IN SAID BORE, SAID CORE HAVING A TERMINAL FLANGE COMPLETELY EMBEDDED IN SAID POLYURETHANE TIP, AN INTERMEDIATE FLANGE WITHIN SAID NYLON MEMBER AND A REDUCED PORTION BETWEEN SAID FLANGES. 